Virtual Story Time: Bear Snores On -- January 2025

Each month, Miss Amy records a virtual Story Time that goes along with the monthly theme.  It will be posted monthly in the morning of the first Tuesday of the month.  (The video is available to watch for one month before a new one is uploaded.) 

Click HERE for this month's online Story Time.

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson

Books:
The Big Snow by Berta Hader
Cold Turkey by Corey Rosen Schwartz
Counting Winter by Nancy White Carlstrom
If It's Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws! by Kim Norman
When Winter Comes by Nancy Van Laan


Extension Activities:
- Read more of the Bear books by Karma Wilson including Bear Can't Sleep and Bear Wants More.
- Learn about animals and hibernation.  There are several great nonfiction books at the library.  Or watch this National Geographic Kids video.
- Hold a party like in the book Bear Snores On.  Enjoy snacks such as hot tea, popcorn, etc.

Thankfulness -- 11/21/23

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Apple Cake: A Gratitude by Dawn Casey
Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson

Books:

Around the Table That Grandad Built by Melanie Heuiser Hill
Thank You and Good Night by Patrick McDonnell

The Thank You Letter by Jane Cabrera

Thank You, Oma! by Oge Mora

Thankful by Eileen Spinelli

Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes
We Give Thanks by Cynthia Rylant

Craft: Thankful Wreath

- Cut out leaves from red, yellow, orange, green, and brown paper

- On select leaves write things you are thankful for

- Write on the center of a paper plate "Thank You For"

- Glue leaves around edges of plate to make wreath

Extension Activities:

- Practice letter recognition and phonics by asking your child to come up with something they are thankful for starting with each letter in the word "THANKS".

- Have your child(ren) help with Thanksgiving dinner preparations.  Come up with simple recipes they can help with or ask them to set the table for the meal.

Spring -- 4/11/23

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Wake Up, It's Spring! by Lisa Campbell Ernst
Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson

Books:

Bunny's First Spring by Sally Lloyd-Jones

Finding Spring by Carin Berger

The Happy Day by Ruth Krauss

Happy Springtime! by Kate McMullan

The Spring Book by Todd Parr

Sun Above and Blooms Below: A Springtime of Opposites by Felicia Chernesky

When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes

Craft: Rockin' Cardinal

- Visit craftyjournal.com/rockin-cardinal/ for instructions to make this craft.

Extension Activities:

- Throw a party celebrating spring.  Include spring flowers for decorations and snacks using spring fruits.  

- Go on a nature walk looking for signs of spring -- flowers, blooming trees, mud, puddles, robins, etc.

Building Block Award Nominees -- Week 3: 9/20/22

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am.  Online Story Times will be posted weekly on Tuesday mornings.  (The video is available to watch for one week before a new one is uploaded.)

Click HERE for this week's Story Time video.

Bear Can't Wait by Karma Wilson
Roar! by Katerina Kerouli
One-osaurus, Two-osaurus by Kim Norman

Books: (2022 Building Block nominee books)

Bear Can't Wait by Karma Wilson

Don't Hug Doug (He Doesn't Like It) by Carrie Finison

Find Fergus by Mike Boldt
It Is (Not) Perfect by Anna Kang

One-osaurus, Two-osaurus by Kim Norman

Roar: A Book of Animal Sounds by Katerina Kerouli

Sharky McShark by Alison Murray

Something Stinks by Jonathan Fenske

Swim, Swim, Sink by Jenn Harney

Wolfboy by Andy Harkness

Craft: Dino Headband

- Print template onto heavy paper or cardstock and cut out

- Color pieces of headband

- Glue pieces together to fit child's head

Extension Activities:

- Practice animal sounds other than those found in Roar.  See how many different animal sounds your child can do.

- Play some games of hide and seek or Simon Says together.

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Elephant and Piggie: I Am Invited to a Party! Story Time: July 22-23, 2019

Books:
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson *
Groovy Joe: Disco Party Countdown by Eric Litwin *
I Am Invited to a Party! by Mo Willems *
If You Give a Pig a Party by Laura Numeroff
Just Not Invited by Mercer Mayer
Miss Spider's Tea Party by Daniel Kirk

Craft: Party Crown
Kids colored a cutout of the word PARTY with Elephant and Piggie on it.  They could add sequins if they liked.  They then glued on strips of paper to turn it into a crown to wear.

Extension Activities:
- Several of the suggested books include an element of math.  Practice counting in the other books by counting the number of party guests.
- Being invited to a party is a great time to go over etiquette.  Go over simple party manners with your child and practice them at home.


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Cows Story Time: May 20-21, 2019

Books:
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson *
The Cow That Laid an Egg by Andy Cutbill *
Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas *
Millie Waits for the Mail by Alexander Steffensmeier
Moo! by David LaRochelle *
Moo Moo in a Tutu by Tim Miller


Craft: C Is for Cow
The children colored a letter "C", a cow head, and a tail before gluing them all together to make the cow.

Extension Activities:
- Practice phonics recognition.  See how many words your child can come up with that starts with the letter "C" -- whether the hard "C" sound or the soft "S" sound.
- Cows help make some of our favorite foods. (i.e. - milk, cheese, ice cream, etc.)  Learn how these different foods are all made from cow's milk.  There are books and videos available at the library or visit a working farm to learn the process.

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Scared Story Time: February 19, 2019

Books:
Bear Feels Scared by Karma Wilson *
The Doghouse by Jan Thomas
I Am (Not) Scared by Anna Kang
Oh So Brave Dragon by David Kirk *
Sea Monkey & Bob by Aaron Reynolds
Snip Snap! What's That? by Mara Bergman *

Craft: Dragon
This week's craft is based on the picture above.  Children glued a half sheet of green paper into a roll to make the dragon's body.  They then colored a dragon head and wings before gluing them to the body.

Extension Activities:
- Have a discussion with your child(ren) about their fears.  What are they scared of?  What makes they feel better when they are scared?
- Monsters are a common fear for children.  Help allay that fear by making a silly monster out of craft supplies found around the house.

Winter Animals Story Time: January 14-15, 2019

Books:
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson *
Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathon London *
Sleepover with Beatrice & Bear by Monica Carnesi
Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit by Il Sung Na
When Winter Comes by Nancy Van Laan *

Craft: Mouse
Our craft this week was based on the picture at left with several changes.  The children colored a mouse cutout that had 2 small slits cut in the body.  They then twisted together 2 half pieces of pipe cleaner together and inserted it in the slits to make the mouse's tail.

Extension Activities:
- Take a winter walk to see if you can find some animals.  If it has snowed, look for animal prints in the snow.  See if you can figure out which animal it is from the prints.
- Make a coloring book of winter animals.  Find coloring sheets of various winter animals to staple together into a coloring book.  Ask your child which of the animals hibernate and which ones don't.


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Day/Night, Black/White: Opposites Story Time: August 27-28, 2018

Books:
Big Bear, Small Mouse by Karma Wilson *
Black? White! Day? Night! by Laura Vaccaro Seeger *
Dogs by Emily Gravett
Double Take! A New Look at Opposites by Susan Hood
Go! Go! Go! Stop! by Charise Mericle Harper *
Marta! Big & Small by Jen Arena

Craft: Stop / Go Sign
This week's craft was based on the picture at left with a few modifications.  We made one sign with STOP on one side and GO on the opposite.  The children colored two circles to glue onto a used CD-rom.  They then glued or taped a jumbo craft stick with STOP written on one side and GO on the other side to the CD to match the colored circles.

Literacy Extensions:
- Practice opposites by making it a game.  Have your child try to come up with opposites throughout the day.  (i.e. hungry and full, up the stairs and down the stairs, etc.)
- Review all the various learning concepts you've covered this past month -- alphabet, counting, colors, and opposites.  Introduce other concepts such as shapes.

Red, Yellow, Blue: Colors Story Time: August 20-21, 2018

Books:
Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson *
Mix It Up! by Herve Tullet
This Book Is Red by Beck & Matt Stanton
Warthogs Paint: A Messy Color Book by Pamela Duncan Edwards *

Craft: Caterpillar Color Match
The kids were given a caterpillar coloring page with circles outlined in different colors.  They glued matching pieces of paper to the correct color circle.


Literacy Extensions:
- Practice number and color recognition at the same time.  Do some color by number coloring pages.
- Go on a color walk.  Try to find items while walking of the different colors.


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I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas (Christmas) Sing-Along Story Time: July 23-24, 2018

Books:
Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson *
The 12 Days of Christmas by Jane Cabrera
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas by Jon Rox *
Minerva Louise on Christmas Eve by Janet Morgan Stoeke *

Craft: Hippo with Santa Hat
The children colored hippo pieces (circle body, head, two feet) and a Santa hat before gluing them all together.


Literacy Extensions:
- After listening to the song I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, read an informational book on hippos.  Have your child give reasons why a hippo would or would not make a good pet.
- See if your child can remember the words and sing various Christmas songs.  (i.e. Jingle Bells, Away in a Manger, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, etc.)


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Farmer Story Time: April 2-3, 2018

Books:
The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson *
Cows in the Kitchen by June Crebbin *
Farmer Brown Goes Round and Round by Teri Sloat
Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell
Stanley the Farmer by William Bee *


Craft: Rooster
This week's craft is based on the picture at left.  The children were given a half sheet of cardstock with beak and eyes on it to color.  It was then glued into a cylinder.  Long strips of paper were glued to the top of the cylinder for the rooster's feathers.  A crown was glued to the top of the face.

Literacy Extensions:
- Cows in the Kitchen and Farmer Brown Goes Round and Round both include animal sounds.  Review animal sounds with your child asking them to come up with the sounds for various farm animals.
- Take a field trip to a working farm (i.e. Stuckmeyers, Eckerts, etc.).


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Karma Wilson Story Time: June 19-20, 2017

Books:
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson *
The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson *
Duddle Puck: The Puddle Duck by Karma Wilson
A Frog in the Bog by Karma Wilson *
If I Were a Mouse by Karma Wilson


Craft: Frog
The children colored a large circle before folding it to become the frog's body and mouth.  They then colored and glued on eyes, a tongue, and feet.

Literacy Extensions:
- Use the book The Cow Loves Cookies to talk about what various animals eat.
- If I Were a Mouse invites children to consider how they would act as various animals.  Suggest different animals and have your child come up with how they would act differently.


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Christmas Story Time: December 19-20, 2016

Books:
Babushka by Sandra Ann Horn
Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson *
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas by John Rox
Minerva Louise on Christmas Eve by Janet Morgan Stoeke *
Monster Needs a Christmas Tree by Paul Czajak *

Craft: Candle Wreath
This week's craft was based on the picture at left.  The children colored a candle cutout before gluing it to a small paper plate with the center cut out.  Die cut holly leaves and large sparkles for berries were also glued onto the plate.

Literacy Extensions:
- Minerva Louise is a chicken that is confused about the different symbols at Christmastime.  Have your child identify different Christmas symbols and talk about what they mean (i.e. star, Christmas tree, Santa, angels, etc.)
- Christmas is a great time to give back to those who are less fortunate.  One great way is to have your child donate a toy to a charity for each new toy they get at Christmastime.


Candle Template:

Bears Story Time: November 28-29, 2016

Books:
Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson *
A Beginner's Guide to Bear Spotting by Michelle Robinson
Every Autumn Comes the Bear by Jim Arnosky
Leaves by David Ezra Stein
Shh! Bears Sleeping by David Martin *
We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen *

Craft: Standing Bear
The children were given a bear cutout to color.  The legs were then bent down so the bear could stand.

Literacy Extensions:
- Discuss hibernation after reading Shh! Bears Sleeping or Every Autumn Comes the Bear.  See if your child can guess which animals hibernate during the winter.
- We've now read about four different animals that live in the forest this month.  See how many other animals your child can list that lives in the woods.


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Art Story Time: August 29-30, 2016

Books:
Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson *
The Dot by Peter Reynolds
Go, Shapes, Go! by Denise Fleming *
I Dream of an Elephant by Ami Rubinger
I'm the Best Artist in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry *
Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Craft: Whale
This week's craft goes with the book I'm the Best Artist in the Ocean.  The kids drew pictures on a whale cutout and then colored it.

Literacy Extensions:
- Practice color and shape recognition by playing I Spy.
- Tangrams are a great way to play with shapes.  Tangram patterns can be found online.


Notes:
Last week's story times focused on science.  They were covered by another staff member as I was on vacation.

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Spring Story Time: April 4-5, 2016

Books:
Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson *
Hurray for Spring! by Patricia Hubbell
I See Spring by Charles Ghigna
Wake Up, It's Spring! by Lisa Campbell Ernst *
When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes *

Craft: Spring Tree Picture
This week's craft is pictured at left.  The children were given a paper with a bare tree on it.  They glued small leaves and tissue paper squares as flowers to the tree.

Literacy Extensions:
- Talk about the different seasons of the year.  See if your child can identify the types of weather for each season.
- Learn about the various animals that start to appear in the spring.  The library has informational books on all different types of wild animals and baby animals.


Template for Tree --

Winter Animals Story Time: January 19, 2016

Books:
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson *
Chaucer's First Winter by Stephen Krensky
Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep! by Maureen Wright *
Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit by An Na *

Craft: Sleeping Bear Picture
The children colored a picture of a bear sleeping in the woods before gluing half a small paper plate ring (just the outer ring, the middle was cut out) over the bear to make it look like a cave.

Literacy Extensions:
- Learn about which animals hibernate through the winter and which stay awake.
- Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep! uses rhyming words.  Practice your rhyming by trying to end all of your sentences with rhymes.

Notes:
Story Time was not held on Monday, January 18 as the library was closed in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

2015 Building Block Award Nominees Story Time: September 21-22, 2015

Books:
Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson *
Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won *
This Book Just Ate My Dog! by Richard Byrne *

Craft: Sun Visor
Our craft this week was based on the picture at left.  Children colored and then glued sparkles to a paper plate crescent that had holes punched at the triangle ends.  After the plate was decorated, a cut rubberband was tied through the holes.


Literacy Extensions:
-  Extend the book Bear Sees Colors by going on a nature walk with your child and asking him / her to name items of particular colors.
- Talk about feelings emotions.  What makes you grumpy?  What helps to make you feel better?

Cows Story Time: June 16-17, 2014

Books:
The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson *
The Cow That Laid an Egg by Andy Cutbill *
Cows to the Rescue by John Himmelman
Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas *
Moo! by David LaRochelle *

Craft: Paper Plate Cow
Children glued a head cutout and two hoofs to a small paper plate.  The cow could then be colored. 

Literacy Extensions:
- Discuss with your child what different animals like to eat (i.e. The Cow Loves Cookies)
- Continue the story of Cows to the Rescue.  Have your child come up with more situations in which the cows could help out their family.